Fire and Sun
by Dominic Jiro
Summary: Lucifer, the leader of Hell's forces, has created a stone of the color of the deepest contrast. Said to curse those who willingly hold it with a lust for sin. That was a very common urban legend around the cities and villages. Every 1,000 years, an angel of great expectancy would appear from the Earth and cause mayhem, but also do good.
1. Prologue - The Origins of the Holy Demon

Prologue - The Origins of the Holy Demon

During the 13 Wars of Heaven & Hell, there was the wreckage of an apocalypse. It took 400 years for the cities to become rebuilt and repopulated. Men, women, and children feared as the battle had only recently flickered out. The war between the Archangels of Eden and the Demons of Satan's Core was a brutal one. Some people say you could still see a white feather floating around, if it was a specific color, then it was one of the Archangel commanders who had fallen. Few have seen them, but it's considered a myth by some.

Lucifer, the leader of Hell's forces, has created a stone of the color of the deepest contrast. Said to curse those who willingly hold it with a lust for sin. That was a very common urban legend around the cities and villages. Every 1,000 years, an angel of great expectancy would appear from the Earth and cause mayhem, but also do good. A demon and an angel together as one. That was amusing to Lucifer. Now it was 3,000 years and nothing had happened since the last story of the demonic angel. It wasn't a species or such, it was a title, similar to the title of Satan, as most people called Lucifer.

"Papa? Will you tell me a story?" The child asked. His hair was as dark as night, his skin pale as the clouds of the heavens, and his eyes orange as the depths below. "Well, I suppose I could tell _one_." The father took great care of his son. The mother that had birthed the child had died in the few days. Now, he was 10, and working hard to make a living with his father. The father told great and interesting stories about the heavens, how the angels lived together in harmony and kindness. The demons lived to hate and spread chaos. Though, this time he would tell a story of a being that took neither sides, who went down his own path to victory. The Holy Being that was offspring of a demon and an angel. He spread chaos, and kindness. He helped others, and left them to die. He created lands and sea, while he created death and spite.

It was years later, and the child grew older. His father was a mess of wine, his mother was gone. He was an only child. The only thing left was him, and his key, which hung on his neck, hidden under his loose shirt. The boy had friends, friends who trusted him, cared for him, and comforted him. A sigh escaped through his mouth. Most people besides a few, had thought he was a monster, looked threatening with the orange eyes that haunted them. The few thought he was kind, gentle, and had limits. Head held high, he walked on. His teeth gritted together as he walked along the narrow dirt path towards another male's home. The boy watched him come out and greet him with happy emotions. The boy smiled and walked inside.

"Tough day?" The male asked. He was a friend of the boy's. The boy said nothing, but nodded in a response. "I know how you feel," he spoke with a gentle flow to his voice. "it's not surprising that a boy like you would get into trouble." He added. Fingers slipped around a small cup and warm milk was poured into it. "Would you like some?" The man asked. The boy nodded his head in acceptance and he took the small glass cup into his own hands. He took a sip slowly as the warm liquid slid down his throat. A satisfying sigh escaped his mouth. "Better?" The man asked, the boy nodded.

"You know, I never thought someone like you would get into trouble so easily, you're very quiet when you want to be. Another case, many people are calling you a monster?" The boy shrugged and pointed to his right eye. "Ah, the color of your eyes, I see. Now, then that's out of the way, I haven't properly introduced myself when I housed you here a week ago." A large hand moved towards the boy. "Barnabas Kane. It's a pleasure." The boy took Barnabas' large hand into his own and shook with a tight grip. "May I have your name? You didn't seem to talk when I let you in." Barnabas had a narrowed look on his supple features. He was a big man with a kind heart.

The boy shrugged and leaned his head back to look up at the ceiling. "Ah, maybe it's because you don't trust me yet, I understand. It's a good thing you're cautious like that." Barnabas sat up and walked into the kitchen with slow steps. "If you feel as though you may share your name with me, then I will be happy to remember it." A smile slid across his face as he nodded at the boy. Sleep crept up to the young boy as he slowly drifted off, his eyes closing. Dreams filled his mind as he slept soundly, dreams of the stories his father once told him. The angels and demons fighting together, and what the Holy Demon might look like. Orange eyes slowly opened to see the ceiling. A yawn escaped the boy's mouth and he blinked a couple of times to move the tears away. The faint taps of the drops of rain could be heard. The boy sat up as he rubbed his forehead and rubbed his eyes slowly. Arms raised as he stretched and bended.

Barnabas was still up, making some herb tea for himself and the boy. "Oh, you're awake?" Barnabas said with a smile as he turned his head to look at the boy. "You still look a bit sleepy, would you like some tea? It will help." Barnabas passed the small cup to him and the boy nodded, gladly taking the cup into his hands. A small sip and it was easy to tell that Barnabas took his time outside to gather the best of herbs before it started raining. The boy turned his head to look out the window. It was raining, yes, but the large field ahead seemed beautiful, even in the rain. A hand ran through the boy's hair as he sighed again and yawned once more, taking another sip from the tea. His Adam's Apple nudged slightly as he swallowed the sweetened beverage.

"Hey, later today if the rain stops, will you go out into town and gather some fruits for me? Tonight I'm making a simple mix to eat." Barnabas said without looking at the boy. He nodded in response and rubbed the back of his neck. The boy looked at Barnabas and took a deep breath. He made a small sound to get his attention. "Dominic." The boy spoke with a soft voice. "It's Dominic." Barnabas looked at him and blinked, then smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you Dominic."


	2. Chapter 1 - On Sin Shall the Demon Arise

Rain kept pouring down day after day. That wasn't a good sign, it never was. Raining day after day, week after week means that another archangel was killed or saddened. Dominic sat at the table, eating a mix of fruits and tea. The chews were soft and slow. Barnabas looked at Dominic with a worried glance. "Are you alright, son? You seem...down." Dominic nodded and his eyes wandered to the window and his eyes narrowed. Something was...glowing? A faint orange glow was coming from the line of trees. It was very faint, but you were able to see it. "Barnabas, when the rain clears up can I go out to the tree line to gather some herbs?" Dominic asked, an intrigued look on his face. Barnabas raised an eyebrow. "Um, sure if you're careful." The boy nodded and smiled, then looked out the window. "Hey...the rain cleared up that quick?"

"Strange. Oh well, you can head out now."

"Thank you, Barnabas." Dominic smiled and rushed out with a basket. Barnabas nodded and watched him run off into the distance.

Dominic gulped as he walked into the line of trees. He had never been to these trees when Barnabas was taking care of him. A gentle sigh escaped his mouth as he slowly walked further in. It didn't seem so bad at first, the forest actually seemed beautiful. Dominic followed that faint glow, it seemed to get brighter and brighter with each step he took. Dominic blinked as he laid his eyes on a peculiar gem. "Mmh?" It glew with a faint aura surrounding it. Dominic could feel as though it was...beckoning him to come closer. His hand reached out slowly. The gem started to pulsate and throb with some sort of evil power.

A hand grabbed his wrist tightly. Dominic hitched his breath before slowly turning his head to look at the person who had a tight grip on him. A male, blonde hair slicked back, piercing golden eyes and very tall. "What are you doing here, boy?" The man asked, his face never changing from the plain look. "I um...I was just...gathering some herbs."

"Well you better leave. It's not a good idea to stay here." The man let go of Dominic's hand and crossed his arms lightly. He seemed different than what Dominic would think. He looked to be about in his 20s, toned, neatly shaven except for a gotee. The boy gulped and rubbed his wrist. "Y-yes sir. I'll leave." Dominic turned and grabbed his basket, running towards the entrance of the clearing.

"So, you saw a weird man in the woods who told you to leave?"

"Yes, I'm serious about this, Barnabas." Dominic told Barnabas the whole story, but leaving out the gem part. "Hmm...he might have thought the woods were too dangerous, I would do the same thing if I were in that situation. It's a good thing you didn't fight though." Dominic nodded and put a hand under his chin, resting it. He could not stop thinking about the gem though, and he couldn't stop thinking about that man in the woods. Who was he? Why was he there? Why would he bother to stop Dominic? Many questions ran through Dominic's head. A sigh escaped his mouth and his teeth were grinding together slightly. Dominic was _going_ to get that gem anyway he could, just to sustain his curiosity and he was planning to do it at night.

"Dominic, I'm heading to bed. Are you going to stay up or head to bed now?" Barnabas asked as he stretched. "I think I'll stay up a bit."

"Alright, good night, Dominic." The man walked through the door and closed it behind him. Dominic bit his lip and looked out the window. He saw the faint glow again and he took a deep breath. The boy quietly stood up and walked over, slipping his boots on slowly. He slowly turned the handle and opened the door, he looked back and closed the door behind him. Dominic started to run towards the woods, panting softly. He slowed down a bit as he entered into the line of trees. He looked around incase that man appeared again. Dominic held his breath as he got closer to the gem. Something seemed quite off with it though, unlike yesterday. Dominic's hand reached out to the gem. He hesitated and moved his hand back a bit. What would happen if he touched this thing? Was it cursed? Dominic wondered these things for a moment and his fingers slowly enclosed around the gem.

Nothing happened. Dominic raised an eyebrow and picked it up slowly. He shook it and put his ear up to it. It didn't seem like anything happened. Dominic put it back to where it was and he was about to loosen his grip when he felt a pressure, then a sharp pain on his palm. "Ah!" He jerked his hand away and looked at it. Crimson liquid seeped from the wound. It was small, but it stung with an eerie pain. Dominic heard a faint rattle and looked to see that the jewel was wobbling. He picked it up again to poke and prod at it. Weird. A symbol slowly appeared on the front of the gem. A cross and a dragon? Okay, something was definitely wrong. Dominic dropped the gem and he turned to run back.

Something suddenly gripped onto his ankle tightly and he fell onto the cold, wet ground. He turned his body to see that a stick-like hand was grabbing onto his leg and further up. Dominic struggled and twisted, deep grunts escaping his mouth. The hand suddenly grabbed his head and forced it down to the ground. More hands came out and kept Dominic down, firmly pinned. A burning pain suddenly warmed up in his chest and the gem seemed to...slowly sink into his chest? Dominic kept struggling and it was no use. The pain became more and more unbearable as the corners of his eyes started to water. It became harder to breath as the gem completely submerged into his chest. The glowing became an intense light, and it burned with an evil aura. Dominic widened his eyes as the color became this deep black, orange, and white. The light suddenly stopped and Dominic's eyes slowly closed. His pulse slowing, and slowing until the last pulse only happened when a figure stopped right next to his body.


	3. Chapter 2 - Some Shopping to be Done

Dominic woke up with chest pains. He couldn't remember much after the gem _seemed_ to come alive and _physically_ sink into him. He blinked a couple of times and took the time to notice his surroundings. He was in quite a luxury room. A beautiful wooden bed with a soft mattress, long silk curtains, engraved drawers and desks. Dominic didn't notice anything strange, other than the fact of asking ' _How did I get here?_ '. He rubbed the back of his head and raised an eyebrow. A glass of water was on the stand next to him. Dominic wrapped his hands around the cup and took a swig. Cool water ran down his throat as he let out a sigh in relief. He closed his eyes slowly and bit his lip.

Dominic heard a door creak open and he looked up. He widened his eyes a bit as he saw the same blonde man from the woods. Dominic panicked and stood up quickly. "Don't worry, I decided to bring you here." The man spoke with fluency and property. Dominic stood up slightly and blinked a couple times. "You...had taken me here?"

"Yes, this is my home, not surprisingly."

"I'm surprised you even did this! Who are you? Why did you take me here? I want to know!" Dominic narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth a bit. "Alright, be patient. I will tell you everything. Just calm down and sit." The man crossed his arms slowly. Dominic slowly sat down on the bed and looked at him. "I took you here because that gem you crossed chose you as its master. That gem was the embodiment of Sin and Satan himself." Dominic looked a little bit bewildered. "I am Sol. I am a messenger of sorts." Sol kept those golden eyes locked on Dominic's orange ones. "A messenger? For who?"

"I'm afraid you can't know that yet. Listen, that gem inside you right now is a dangerous feat. Demons will try to take it from your body so they can become powerful. Angels will do the same. You should be looking out for yourself, unlike what happened in the woods."

Dominic took time to let this sink in. Demons and Angels were going to be after him. It was a scary thing to think, but he would try to keep hidden. Though...he didn't want to. "Sol? May I ask something?"

"Mmh? What is it?" Sol asked as he rolled his sleeves up, showing forearms that had good muscle to them. "I wanted to ask if there was a way to defeat the Angels and Demons?" A sigh escaped Sol's mouth. "There's no way, even if you could, they keep coming back because their gods created them and will create more and more with each minute when people die." Dominic stood up. " Well, I want to learn how to fight them."

"Dominic, no, it's ludicrous. Do you know that fighting one could risk you getting killed?"

"I understand, but…" He stalled for a moment. "there could be _some_ way, right?" Sol closed his eyes for a moment and then opened to shoot Dominic a cold glance. "Only by killing _their_ gods would it work. Dominic do you remember having heard the story of the gem?"

"Only a bit."

"Well, there's another that's the equivalent of _that_ , but it is god himself. It's a shade of yellow and has that same symbol embroidered on it from your gem." Sol prodded a finger at Dominic's chest where the gem had sunken in. "If you're going to defeat the two gods, you need that gem and it's not that easy to find. No one knows where it's being kept."

Dominic rubbed the back of his head. "Ah, that's...a bit of a problem then." He looked slightly left and saw himself in the mirror, he widened his eyes. " My...hair?" Dominic took a strip of his hair and twisted it slightly. It was still black, but the bottom layer and half the sides were a bright shade of orange, like the gem. Dominic also had black circles under his eyes and his skin was an almost shade of white. "This...this is the effect of the gem?"

"Yes I'm afraid so." Sol walked over and put a large hand on Dominic's shoulder. "Is this surprising to you?"

"Yeah, a bit." Dominic turned his head to the side and touched his cheek lightly. He didn't even feel off and he was as pale as a dead man. Literally! "Does this mean I'm...dead?"

"No, it's not like that. It's actually quite complicated. The thing is, you can't go hungry or worry about your personal hygiene because they won't change from before the gem entered you." Sol looked at him. "Um...so I can still eat, but won't even gain or lose anything?"

"That's one way to put it." Sol tilted his head slightly and rubbed the back of his neck. "Since that is all cleared up. Dominic, you're coming with me out to the market."

"Wait why?" Dominic turned to look at him. " You need new clothes and you going to have to get cleaned up."

"Um...alright?"

"Now come on. We're heading out." Sol slipped on a long coat and opened the door.

The market seemed _very_ , _very,_ busy. Dominic felt as though he was trapped in a box. Claustrophobic. As he observed, Sol looked...quite calm and collected. Dominic thought he was probably used to that. "Ah here we are. Clothes." Sol walked inside and Dominic looked around a bit before following inside. "My limit here is 500 Charts, so be logical in the price." Dominic nodded and walked around a bit, hearing Sol following behind him. "Can I interest you men in something spectacular?" The shopkeeper had a huge grin on his face, probably excited in what he had to sell. "Alright, show us what you got." Dominic leaned against the counter and blinked a couple of times. "At a _fantastic_ deal of 200 Charts. You can get this lovely outfit for that much!" Dominic's eyes lit up when he saw the outfit. It had an orange scarf, a black vest and sleeves, white gloves, a black tie and white collared shirt. It had black tight pants with orange-lined pockets. Tall orange and black boots that went up to the thigh. And had hanging buckles from the back. "Sol...pay up."

"You want that?"

"Yes, a lot."

"Heh, it's the same color as your eyes." Sol took out 200 Charts from his pocket. The man gladly took the money into a pouch for his daily pay and he pulled all the clothing pieces off from the mannequin and handed it to Dominic. "Thank you good sir! Have a nice day." The shopkeeper bowed a bit and Sol nodded. "Dominic, that's it for shopping today. Listen, we'll have to go back and you need to clean up." Dominic shook his head up and down a bit.

"Alright, here's a towel and here's soap. Take as long as you want to bathe." Sol opened the door to the washroom and Dominic walked inside. It was big and the bath was big. Dominic heard the door close. He set the new clothes to the side and then took off his dirty ones, setting them in a basket. Dominic took a step into the warm water and he flinched. He then slipped down to a sitting position and he let out a deep sigh. "Mmh, this is nice." Dominic never felt a bath this warm and comforting before. His eyes closed and he leaned his head back. Dreams fluttered his mind, but they soon turned into nightmares. Dominic suddenly jerked up from his sitting position and smacked his head on something. "Ah!" He rubbed his head and found that his head was smacked on on the stone rim of the bath. Dominic rubbed the back of his head and stood up, drying off with a towel. He slowly walked out and picked up his clothes, putting them on. He looked at himself in the tall mirror and he smirked. "I look good in this."

Dominic walked out and put the towel in the basket with his dirty clothes. Sol was walking by when he heard the door open. Sol stopped in his place and saw the outfit on Dominic. He looked at him up and down. Sol raised an eyebrow and his adam's apple bobbed, meaning he was gulping. Well...that's what Dominic saw at least. Dominic walked up to Sol and crossed his arms. "Well? How does it fit me?"

"It looks quite tight on you, does it feel that way?"

"No, not really." Dominic bended forward and then bended back, testing out how much room there was. "Not at all."

"Alright well...we'll head out tonight to do some training."

"Training? What for?"

"You'll see soon. Just come out when you're done cleaning up." Sol walked out of the room and Dominic raised an eyebrow. "Al...right?"


	4. Chapter 3 - Training

The moon lit up bright as the shadows of the dark clouds blocked bits of the full moon. Sol stood with a wooden staff. His coat tied against his hips. His shirt also tied with the coat. Sol's muscles flexed as he held the staff tightly in his hands. Above the hips he wore nothing besides bandages wrapped around his waist. Dominic held a smaller wooden staff. "Alright. Training at night is a good tactic to fighting. Your foe can't see you well enough, unless moonlight is there." Sol's coat slowly flowed along with the wind. Dominic gulped and narrowed his eyes. He looked up and saw that dark clouds covered the moon. "Let's see how good your swipe is."

Dominic looked back and nodded. He dashed forward and swung the staff down hard. Sol blocked it with no effort. "Your swing is weak. Even though you may have strength, the blow is nothing." He took a deep breath. "Let's see your blocking skills. Remember this: These are basics in fighting." Dominic nodded and stepped back a bit. "I'm going to come at you. It's alright if you flinch. It's normal since you have not experienced fighting. Ready?" Dominic nodded. Sol came at him at a good speed and Dominic blocked, but was knocked back by the force of his hit. Sol's staff swung up, but stopped at Dominic's neck. "You didn't block the force."

"Well, how the heck am I supposed to train like this in time?"

"Don't worry, it will take time, we don't need to rush." Sol jumped back to his original position. "I will say this as a hint: Hone your senses and collect your surroundings." Dominic seemed confused. "Wait wha-" Sol suddenly came at him and Dominic widened his eyes. He panicked and quickly rolled out of the way. "Good! You dodged. I was hoping for that." Sol turned his head toward him and a bit of a smile appeared on his face. "So, I did something good?"

"Yes. You dodged pretty well, I'm surprised you rolled instead of just running out of the way. That's a good start. Now, we'll just have to get down blocking." Sol leaned against his staff.

Dominic raised an eyebrow. He gulped and blinked. He had to remember to hone his senses, like what Sol said. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath and concentrated. Everything seemed to come into place. He could see faint outlines of the small arena, his own body, and Sol's. Flickers of Sol coming at him could be seen. Dominic quickly blocked and was only pushed back a bit. Sol rolled back and jumped, swinging the staff down. He blocked again and flipped the staff over, taking it straight out of Sol's hands. Dominic quickly swung his staff and stopped right by Sol's neck. He opened his eyes. "Was that good?" A grin appeared on Sol's face. "Exceptionally well, Dominic. You remembered what I said." Dominic smiled and nodded. "Now you need to learn your swings and your force." Dominic stepped back a bit and so did Sol. He suddenly came at him and Dominic quickly dodged and blocked his side attack. He swung and underhanded. As Sol observed, Dominic was very flexible in his attacks. He jumped and flipped over Sol as he swung from behind. Sol blocked the attack and was slid back from the force. "You did well. I'm proud of you." Dominic grinned slightly. Sol stood back and nodded. "Our training is done for the night. Tomorrow we will train again in the afternoon."

"Got that." Dominic smiled and walked out of the small arena and walked inside the house. Sol's grin faded as he thought to himself. ' _Hm. I wonder if he will be alright with that power._ ' He shook his head and walked into the house as well.


	5. Chapter 4 - Back to Starting Life

"Dominic! Oh gods I am so glad you are okay!" Arms wrapped around Dominic as Barnabas hugged him tightly. "Barnabas, it's okay, really, I'm fine." He pat his back and smiled softly. "What happened to you out there?"

"Oh, well...many things actually." Dominic scratched his chin slowly and looked to the side, then looked at Sol. "Sol here actually helped me become all settled with everything." Sol had his arms crossed with a still look on his face. "What happened to your hair, your skin?"

"Well, eheh...that's kind of...not supposed to be told." He let out a nervous laugh and arched his back. Barnabas narrowed his eyes and looked to Sol. "Did he do something to you to make you like this?" Dominic shook his head no and he blinked. "It just kind of developed overtime, I think it was me becoming older." Barnabas narrowed his eyes and doubted Dominic's claim and then looked to Sol again. Sol raised his arms slightly and then turned away, crossing his arms. Dominic looked at Barnabas. "Listen, Barnabas, he took care of me. Don't be angry with him." He smiled softly and hugged him again. Barnabas took a deep breath and nodded, hugging back. "Alright, I'll take your word for it. If you ever run off and do something like that again then I won't be happy." Barnabas walked inside his house and gestured a hand for them to come inside.

The scent of tea and warm milk was in the air. Dominic sat quietly with his head down. Sol looked to the side, taking small sips of warm tea. Dominic crossed his legs and looked at Barnabas. "So…" Dominic ran a hand through his hair slowly and bit his lower lip. "Dominic, I'm really worried about you sometimes. I figured you did that was because you were looking for something much better in your life."

"Actually, I was just bored." Dominic said softly and rubbed the back of his neck. Barnabas blinked a couple of times. "Dominic, even though you get curious, you shouldn't have gone into the woods, you could have gotten killed, you know."

" Yes, I know, I know." Dominic looked down slightly and sipped his warm milk slowly. He stood up slowly and put his hand down on the table. "You know, this has kind of been a hectic day." Dominic rubbed the back of his neck and looked at Barnabas. Sol stood up and then walked out of the house. "Sol, where are you going?"

"I'm going back to town, if you wish to stay here then I won't force you." Sol stopped and turned around to look at Dominic, he had to look down at Dominic since he was tall. "Wait, Sol, I'm sorry. It's just Barnabas has taken care of me since I was 16. He is like a father to me." Dominic blinked and looked down. Sol took a deep breath and nodded. "I understand." Sol then walked down the path towards the town. Dominic felt a bit bewildered.

Dominic decided to spend the night with Barnabas. He looked up at the ceiling as he had this warm feeling inside. A feeling as though he was right where he belonged again, no worries, no failures. This was the perfect life to live. Though, something felt off to Dominic, as if he felt like he didn't belong anywhere. "Hey, Barnabas?"

"Yes, Dominic?" Barnabas looked up from his book and looked at the younger male. "I've been thinking, maybe I feel like...I don't know...like I don't belong anywhere." Dominic sighed and had a worried look on his face. Barnabas stood up slowly and walked over, sitting down nearby. "It's alright, that feeling would be normal at your age."

"You think so?" Dominic asked as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Yes, I do."

"Thanks Barnabas."

"Of course, Dominic."


	6. Chapter 5 - Some Sort of Secret

_I am sorry, but you have to make the decision of staying away from him. We do not care that you have a connection with him, we want you away from him. You will have to keep your distance, there's a storm coming and there's a chance you are in danger of the fate of others. Please, do this and we won't have to force you._

 _-_ _hagar_ I

Dominic was sent a document from the local temp, about the matter of him coming in contact with Sol and to never do talk to him again. The name was blacked off. Dominic pondered this and bit his lip, nibbling on it. He rushed out with the document, stuffing it inside the envelope it came from. Barnabas poked his head through the open window. "Dominic where are you going?!" Dominic kept running along the trail until he came to the edge of the town. He took his time to slow down and catch his breath before he traveled in to look for Sol. He found his home and knocked on the door quickly, but firmly. Nothing responded for the first five seconds so he knocked again. He heard something moving in there and then footsteps. The door opened and Dominic looked up. Sol's hair was messed up and sticking out in weird ways and he was still in his night pants, no shirt. "Mh…?" His eyes were baggy. "Dominic? Why are you here? It's still early in the morning."

"Sol, read this." Dominic handed him the document and walked inside quickly. Sol closed the door behind him and opened the letter. He sat down next to Dominic and his eyes traveled down the paper. "Well? What do you think?" Dominic crossed his arms and he saw Sol gulp. "So? What?" Sol suddenly sat up and then crumpled the paper. "Don't listen to them, they are just being ignorant." Sol walked to the drawer and opened it. He picked up a clean, loose shirt and slipped it on. Dominic raised an eyebrow. "Sol, are you trying to hide something from me?" He stood up and walked over to him. Sol spoke quickly and firmly. "No, I'm not trying to hide anything. Dominic, I think you should leave."

"Wait why?"

"Just...leave now." Sol turned and looked at him with the most bitter glance. Dominic felt bewildered and just left after his demand. Dominic raised an eyebrow as he bit his lip. "Something isn't right. He's hiding something from me. I _need_ to find out." Dominic ran back down the path and came to Barnabas' house as he stepped inside. Barnabas smiled and greeted him. "Ah, Dominic you're ba-"

"Not right now, Barnabas. I need to figure out something. Sol is hiding something from me and I know he is."

"This is why I couldn't trust a man like him, you know better Dominic. Now, tell me how this came up." Barnabas gripped Dominic's shoulders. "I got sent a letter by someone unknown, or a group. They told me to stay away from him. When I showed him the letter, he told me to leave. I just didn't know what was going on! Barnabas, something isn't right." Barnabas bit his lip and then looked to the side. "I can ask the same questions and won't get answers anytime soon." He looked back at Dominic and narrowed his eyes slightly. "I want you to ask him questions about this, or either spy on him."

"A-are you sure, Barnabas? I don't think Sol would be happy with me if he found out."

"It's fine, Dominic, just do it." Barnabas looked at him. "Alright, I suppose."

"Good."


	7. Chapter 6 - Something's Up

Something was definitely up with Sol. Dominic knew this from the nervous way he kicked him out of his home. He wondered about this though, and proceeded, from the advice of Barnabas, to spy on Sol. Dominic chewed on a piece of Chickweed to help him stay quiet. Dominic slowly crouched by Sol's home and started to move, stopping right by his window and slowly moving up to look. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary as he saw Sol going about his day, writing a letter or a journal. It wouldn't be odd of him to write his days in expensive paper. Dominic watched as Sol got up and walked to his closet, opening it up and grabbing something from the top shelf. The younger shoved another piece of Chickweed into his mouth and chewed thoroughly. Sol gripped the box so tightly, his knuckles turned white. Dominic's teeth gritted together a bit as he saw him sit down and open the box. A faint glow appeared from the box and he saw Sol's face furrow. Dominic tilted his head and saw something slowly crawl out of the box. A...hand? It looked more like a human's. It grabbed Sol by the head and pinned him down onto the bed. Dominic's eyes narrowed slightly. The box suddenly gave out and smashed right against the mirror, cracking it, but not breaking it. A golden gem came from the hand as many more started appearing.

Dominic's eyes widened as he quickly turned around and crouched against the wall. "No…" He quickly stood up and ran down the path, through the town, still bustling with people from the marketplace. He ran further and further until he came to the tree line. He walked inside and saw the pedestal that sat the gem that was once there, now inside of Dominic. He let out a deep breath and sat on the pedestal, eating more Chickweed to calm himself down. "He has...the gem? How could he have hidden it from me?" His brow furrowed in thought as he gulped hard. His fingers rubbed his forehead a bit as his eyes drooped. "Unless…"

Dominic felt a full force hit him square in the chest as he felt the breath from his lungs escape. His back found its way to a tree with unbelievable pain. His eyes widened as he struggled to breath. His whole body limped to the ground, almost like a rag doll. He opened his eyes slowly to see something walking towards him. His head felt as though it was going to collapse any second. Dominic's vision was blurry, he couldn't see right, though he could see the golden figure that walked towards him. Sol. His eyes were narrowed, dark, and intimidating. Dominic's breath slowly came back as his vision started to get clearer. Sol spoke with an unworldly tone. "Demon, you shall perish at the tip of my blade."

"S-Sol...it's me…" He slowly stood up, using the tree to support his weight. "S-Sol. Please…" He narrowed his eyes and let out short fits of breath. "Sol! For god's sake just snap out of it!" Dominic's eyes darkened as well and his voice became unworldly. Sol's eyes slowly started to become its normal golden color. "Dominic...why am I…" He blinked a couple of times and sheathed his blade. "What happened? Did I try to kill you?" Dominic's eyes went back to its normal color and he let out deep breaths. "Sol, you let the gem control you. That isn't good. What does that mean?"

"He's found you…" Sol's eyes lowered. "Who's found me, do you mean god? If god has found me, I need to leave this forest quickly." Dominic started to walk, but was stopped by Sol. "I'm going with you."

"But, if you get controlled again…"

"It's fine, I'll lead you." Sol patted his shoulder and Dominic calmed down. "Alright...I need to tell Barnabas goodbye though." He slipped another piece of Chickweed into his mouth.


End file.
